Stock tag



Jan. 8 1924.

C. E. SALSBERY STOCK TAG Fil ed July 22 1921 Patented Jan. 8, 1924.

warren, STATES ream PATENT orrics.

CHARLES E. SALSBEB-Y, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO THE JENSEN- SALSBERY LABORATORIES, INC., OF KANSAS MISSOURI.

CITY, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF STOCK TAG.

Application filed July 22, 1921. Serial No. 486,787.

T 0 all whomz'if may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. SALS- urr, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Stock Tags, of which the following is a complete specification.

This invention relates to identification tags for live stock, and more especially to tags of that class to be fastened in place through an ear of the animal to be identified, and my object is to produce an efficient ear tag which can be instantly secured in position by proper pliers and which is of such character that it cannot become accidentally dislodged.

A further object is to produce a tag of simple, strong, durable and cheap construction, and which can be secured in position with the least pain to the animal.

To these ends the invention consists in certain novel and useful features of construction and combinations of parts as hereinafter described and claimed; and in order that the invention may be fully understood, reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a stock tag.

embodying the invention, said figure showing said tag in open position in a pair of hers whereby the tag can be fastened quick- Ty and easily through the ear of the animal.

Figure 2 is a similar view with the pliers partly closed and the tag in corresponding position.

Figure 3 is a similar view with the pliers wholly closed and the tag ends interlocked as when properly fastened to the ear of an animal.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the tag in opened condition.

Figure 5 is a front end view of the tag when open.

- In the said drawing, 1 and 2 indicate the arms or members of a pair of pliers, which are pivoted together at 3, a spring 1 or any equivalent device being employed for auto matically opening the pliers when pressure on the handles thereof is relaxed. 5 and 6 indicate the jaws of the pliers, and jaw 5 being recessed to produced an end lug 7 facing the other aw 6, and the latter is provided in its inner side with a transverse groove or notch 7 opposite the inner end or shoulder of the lug 7.

The tag is formed of any suitable metal and is substantially U-shaped in side view, 8 1ndicating the closed end and 9 and 10 the two arms. of the tag, and the same is of such proportion that when fitted in' the pliers between the jaws thereof, said closed end ,8 abuts against the pivoted portion of the pliers wlth j aw9 fitting in the recessed portion of aw 5 and arm 10 adjacent but not in contact along the greater part of its length with the jaw 6. Theouter or front end of the arm 9 terminates in a finger 11 projecting toward the groove'8, and said finger is'tapered at its flat sides toward its free end. It is also tapered in the same direction at its side edges as at 12, and such edges are bevelled or sharpened as shown so that said finger can easily and quickly cut through the ear of the animal when the pliers are closed to cause the arms 9 and 10 of the tag to relatively approach each other. The front or outer end of the arm 10 terminates in a hook 13, bridging the groove or notch 7, the inner or hollow side of the hook facing the finger 11. The parts are so proportioned that the hook where it joins the arm 10, shall present an inclined deflecting surface 14 against which the point of the finger is adapted to impinge when the pliers are closed.

The operation of applying a tag'to the ear of an animal will be obvious when the tag is fitted in the pliers as shown in Figure 1. It is fitted over the ear of the animal to be tagged and pressure is applied upon the handles of the pliers to cause the sharpened finger to pass through the ear and in the same operation impinge upon the inclined portion 14. This causes the tapered free end of the finger to curve or bend outward within the hook and at the same time the pres-' sure closes the hook partly, as indicated in Figure 3, and thus interlocks the two ends of the tag firmly together. The ends are so securely interlocked that an attemptto open the tag results in the outward bowing of the arms 9 and 10, though this is not easily acloo complished as the metal possesses considerable stiffness and strength, and the arms of the tag fit snugly against the opposite sides of the animals ear and afford no projection upon which weeds or other devices could catch and result in tearing or lacerating of the ear.

The device obviously can be applied in position instantly, and as the sharpened finger llU cuts cleanly through the ear, is applied, of course, with the minimum degree of pain to the animal. This is desirable of course in a device of this character because when the animal feels the pain its natural impulse is to struggie and plunge, and it is also necessary that the interlocking be made instantly so that if the animal does move its head or plunge away, the tag should be securely affixed and thus require no second operation.

From the above description it will be apparent that I have produced an ear tag for stock which embodies the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of the objects of the invention, and which may be modified in minor particulars without departing from the principle of construction or mode of operation involved.

VVhat I claim is:

1. A stock tag of relatively U-shape, one end terminating in an open hook and the other end terminating in a finger facing the open end of said hook and adapted to be interlocked with said hook by having its end curled away from the U-shaped end of the tag and within the hook, said hook being adapted to be partially closed simultaneously with the bending of said tongue.

2. A stock tag of relatively U-shape, one end terminating in an open hook and the other in a flat finger projecting toward the open side of said hook, the parts being relatively disposed to cause the free end of the finger, when the arms are pressed sufiiciently together, to impinge in the hook and be interlocked therewith by having its end curled away from the U-shaped end of the tag and within the hook, and upon further approaching movement of the arms to partially close said hook upon the curled end of the finger.

In witness whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

CHARLES E. SALSBERY. 

